Jakarta, Sept. 12 -- Indonesia's Deputy Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Yuliot Tanjung has linked the wave of refinery closures across China, the United States, Europe, and Australia to the accelerating global transition to cleaner energy.

"Refineries may be shutting down because of the energy transition," he Yuliot told reporters in Jakarta on Friday.

He pointed to China, where vehicles from private cars and public transport to heavy equipment and delivery fleets are rapidly switching to electric power. That shift has cut fuel demand and reshaped the energy market.

"China already uses batteries for about 50 percent of its vehicles. More than 60 percent of its fuel stations have shut down," Yuliot said.

His comments followed ...